Military Aid

NEW DELHI: India has suspended indefinitely military aid to Nepal's fight against Maoist insurgents in a bid to pressure the monarch of the Himalayan kingdom to restore democracy, a news report said on Sunday. India harshly criticised Nepal's King Gyanendra after he dismissed the government and declared a state of emergency on February 1. However, analysts had initially expressed doubts that New Delhi would withdraw military aid, fearing that a Maoist victory would serve to encourage...

WASHINGTON: US senators from both parties renewed calls Thursday for President Barack Obama to boost military aid to Ukraine, while criticizing Europe's approach to the crisis. The Obama administration has been under fire for months from some lawmakers who have criticized its failure to move decisively to provide Ukraine with "defensive lethal assistance" to defend itself against rebels backed by Russia. John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee,...

WASHINGTON: US President George W. Bush has authorised military assistance to newly independent Kosovo, the White House said. According to the Presidential Determination Bush signed Wednesday, the US grants Kosovo eligibility to receive defence articles and defence services under the Foreign Assistance Act and the Arms Export Control Act. "The actual provision of defence articles or defence services will be considered on a case-by-case basis,...

WASHINGTON: Angered by Pakistan's reluctance to go full throttle in the war against teror, the US today disclosed that it has suspended USD 800 million worth of military aid to it, reflecting months of bickering between the allies. The White House Chief of Staff Tom Donilon while confirming suspension of the aid, described the relations with Pakistan as "difficult" and that it "must be made to work overtime".

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama today proposed more than USD 1 billion in civilian and military aid to Pakistan, describing it as a "strategically important nation". The key elements of the proposed budget include strengthening Pakistani military for its fight against extremism, safety of nuclear installation, stability in Afghanistan , economic development and improvement in ties with India. The budgetary proposals released by the State...

CAIRO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said today that his country will contribute $2.5 billion in non-military aid for the Middle East as he visits the volatile region. "Japan will carry out assistance of $2.5 billion in non-military fields including humanitarian assistance and infrastructure development, intended for the entire region," Abe said. During a press conference here, Abe also pledged $200 million in non-military assistance for countries affected by the...

NEW DELHI: The US is "realising" that the military aid provided by it to Pakistan was being used against India, Defence Minister A K Antony said on Wednesday. The Minister said India has been trying to convince the US to develop a mechanism to monitor that the aid it provides to Pakistan for fighting terrorism is not used for other purposes. "The US is also coming to realise this... what we have been saying," Antony told reporters here while...

NEW DELHI: India's efforts to prevent fresh US military aid going to the Pakistani Army has failed with US President Barack Obama proposing to massively increase non-military and military aid to Pakistan in his maiden budget. Though the exact amount of military aid has not been specified. Mr Obama's maiden budget proposes spending of $130 billion for 2010 and $75.5 billion for 2009. There is a further request for $205.5 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan between now and...

NEW DELHI: India today welcomed the US decision to suspend $ 800 million military aid to Pakistan, saying a heavy presence of arms would have disturbed the equilibrium in the region. "With reference to the special circumstances between India and Pakistan and how India has consistently taken the view that it is not desirable that this region had to be heavily armed by the US which will upset the equilibrium in the region itself. To that extent India...

NEW DELHI: As India's concerns grow on the US plans to increase military aid to Pakistan, Pentagon documents have revealed that a large amount of military aid given earlier by Washington to fight terrorism was used by Islamabad to build up its defence capabilities, which were mainly targeted against India. Aware of what was happening, the then Bush administration, according to an agency report, had given $1.9 billion in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and signed agreements...

WASHINGTON: The Obama administration is laying out a new multiyear, multibillion-dollar military aid package for Pakistan as it presses the Islamabad government to step up the fight against extremists there and in neighboring Afghanistan, US officials say. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi were to unveil the plan Friday at the end of the latest round...

It doesn't take much to stir controversy over America's relationship with Pakistan. The latest dust-up involves $532 million in economic assistance that the United States expects to provide this year. Last week, Pakistani officials jumped the gun by suggesting the money is closer to being disbursed than it is; the news annoyed India, which doesn't think the aid is merited. That is a familiar complaint. Since 9/11, the United States has provided Pakistan with billions...

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama has signed a massive annual defence policy bill which grants $1 billion to Pakistan for the expenses made by its army in support of the US military operations in war-torn Afghanistan. The National Defence Authorization Act for the fiscal year 2015, signed by Obama yesterday, sets overall defence spending at USD 578 billion which has provision for release of Coalition Support Fund amounting to USD 1 billion to...

NEW DELHI: India today stuck to its tough stance on ceasefire violations by Pakistan by asking it to end the present " adventurism " but made it clear that it has "no fear of talks". Observing that while the new Indian government was serious about bilateral dialogue in a peaceful atmosphere, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Syed Akabaruddin said what Pakistan gave in return was media spectacle before exploratory foreign secretary-level...

KABUL: As Afghanistan prepares for a democratic transition of power, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Afghan President Hamid Karazi today held wide-ranging talks on political and security situation in the war-torn country and agreed to intensify cooperation in areas like security and defence. During the meeting, Swaraj expressed India's strong commitment to continue extending its all possible help to Afghanistan to meet various challenges...

KABUL: Seeking to enhance strategic cooperation and help Afghanistan deal with key challenges of security and stability, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived here today on a crucial visit as the trouble- torn country approaches the first democratic transition of power after fall of the Taliban in 2001. Swaraj's visit also assumes significance as it comes amid rising fears of the reemergence of the Taliban and other al-Qaeda...

WASHINGTON: Taking on board India's concerns, the US Congress today cleared a bill that sets out tough conditions on military assistance to Pakistan to make sure that these funds are not squandered or diverted to affect the "balance of power in the region". "We can't lose sight of the very reason Pakistan receives these funds: they are a reimbursement for expenses incurred fighting terrorists and supporting US-led efforts to do the same," Senator Bob Menendez, a...

NEW DELHI: Pakistan diverted most of the military aid it received from the US for counter-terror to fight against India , a former American ambassador to Afghanistan has alleged Ronald Neumann, former US envoy to Kabul's remarks came while testifying before a Congressional Committee. He said that most of the military aid to Pakistan never went to counterinsurgency and it went to buying equipment to fight India, post 9/11. Pakistan had received $20.7 billion worth...